Under Cover of Darkness
by AlyB123
Summary: Set sometime in S2 before her time on the run, Ressler and Liz are stuck in NYC during a city-wide blackout. One-shot written in response to a Ressler Prompt challenge on Twitter. Shamelessly Keenler.


_This story was written in response to Ressler Prompt #1 from my Twitter/Tumblr friends: "Power blackout. Trapped somewhere. Choose who he is with. Angst if desired. Set any time, any place." All stories exchanged simultaneously among the writers & later posted here. Hope you enjoy! _

* * *

"Thanks for your time." Ressler nodded at the nervous looking man seated across from him and stood up to leave. Liz followed closely behind him. "That was a colossal waste of time," he muttered as they strode through the elegant reception area of the financial services firm with its sweeping skyline views. The blonde receptionist barely looked up as they passed and continued speaking rapidly in a clipped tone to someone on the other end of the phone. Ressler held the heavy glass door open for Liz as they exited into the elevator lobby. Cooper had sent them to New York to interview the young hedge fund executive in connection with their latest case, but the man had remained tight-lipped and volunteered nothing useful. Ressler had grown increasingly frustrated over the course of the interview and Liz could see the tension in his shoulders.

Ressler jabbed the elevator button with his thumb and turned to Liz with his hands on his hips. "You want to grab a bite before we head back? I'm starving."

Liz glanced at her watch. It was nearly 5 p.m and they had missed lunch. "Sure," she replied. It was going to be a long trip back to D.C. and the thought of doing it on an empty stomach was unappealing.

The elevator announced its arrival with a soft ding and they stepped inside. Ressler punched the button for the lobby and the elevator began its slow descent. Liz glanced up and watched the floor numbers flash - 38, 37, 36. Suddenly, they were plunged into darkness as the elevator jolted to a stop that caused her to stumble headfirst into Ressler.

"What the hell…." Ressler grumbled as Liz used his arm to steady herself.

"I don't know? Maybe the power went out?" Liz reached for her phone and touched the button to illuminate the screen. She groaned inwardly as she saw "no signal" in the upper left corner. "I have no cell signal - how about you?"

Ressler pulled out his phone. "Me either." He reached for the flashlight on his belt and shone it around the car. He pressed the intercom button on the elevator panel. "Hello! Is anyone there?" There was no response. "You'd think a swanky office tower like this would have a backup generator," he grumbled.

"Let's give it a few minutes," Liz replied. "I'm sure someone will figure out we're in here."

Ressler paced back and forth while Liz pressed her ear against the elevator door, listening for any sign of rescue. Fifteen minutes later they heard some faint voices and Ressler shouted again. "Hey! We're stuck in the elevator. Can anyone hear us?"

"We hear you," a man's voice called out from somewhere above them. "We can't get to you yet. Our backup power's not working."

"Copy that," Ressler responded. "What happened?"

"The whole city's out. It may be a while before we can get to you," the man called back.

"The whole city…?" Ressler sounded incredulous. "How does that even happen?"

"I don't know," Liz replied, "but it doesn't sound like we're getting out of here any time soon."

"Yeah." Ressler eased himself down onto the floor with a groan and Liz sat down opposite him. She couldn't see him in the inky blackness but his solid presence was reassuring.

"Were you ever afraid of the dark as a kid?" she asked after a few minutes. Ressler chuckled softly. "Not that I remember. Why? Were you?"

"A little," she replied. "I always had to sleep with a nightlight when I was young. I didn't like to be alone in the dark. Still don't, I guess."

"Well, lucky for you, I'm not going anywhere," he replied.

They sat in silence for a while before Ressler finally spoke. "That guy today, the one we interviewed, you think he was hiding something?"

She thought for a moment before responding. "I don't think so. I think if anything, he's just a cog in a much bigger wheel. We need to find a way to get to his boss."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Ressler replied sarcastically. "His boss is probably out in the Hamptons on his yacht keeping carefully away from everything going on in here. This guy was just a tool."

His tone reminded her of his comments about "tassels," the banker Audrey was engaged to before she reconciled with Ressler. "You don't like these investment banker types, do you?"

"No," he said curtly. She was not surprised at his terse response. Ressler was always tight-lipped and reluctant to share personal details, but she decided to press forward anyway. Given their present circumstances, he couldn't really avoid her questions altogether.

"Why not?" She heard him inhale sharply through his nose and waited for his response.

Finally, he exhaled loudly and said "my parents wanted me to have a good education. Thought I needed more than our local public school could offer. So they pushed me to get this scholarship to a prep school. I spent four years with these kids who had no clue what real life was like. All they cared about were their fancy clothes and their fancy cars and their vacation homes and the drugs and the booze. Meanwhile my dad was out there working his ass off trying to catch the lowlifes on the street. It wasn't my world. Never wanted it to be."

He fell silent again as she digested his response. He so rarely spoke of his family. "You probably beat up a lot of kids," she said softly.

"Yeah. I had my fair share of scrapes. Wasn't too popular with the headmaster." He leaned his head back against the elevator wall with a soft thump.

"How old were you when your father died?" She hoped she wasn't pushing too far with her questions.

Again, there was a long pause before he responded. "I was a freshman in college. 19 years old. That was when I decided I wanted to be a cop. But not a local cop - not after what I'd seen. I thought the Feds were less corrupt back then. Now? I'm not so sure."

Liz wasn't so sure either. "You must miss him. I know I miss my dad."

"I do. Every single day."

Liz could hear the emotion in his voice and decided not to push the subject further. She closed her eyes and they sat in silence. With the air conditioning off, the temperature in the elevator was rising rapidly.

* * *

An hour later, Liz could feel beads of sweat on the back of her neck. Both she and Ressler had shed their jackets and Ressler had loosened his tie and rolled up his shirt sleeves but the elevator was becoming increasingly warm and uncomfortable. Liz's stomach rumbled with hunger.

"I don't know about you, but I really don't want to spend the night in this elevator with no water, no food and no bathroom," she said finally.

Ressler groaned. "Me either. Let me see if I can figure out some way out." He got up and stretched and then shone his flashlight on the ceiling. "There's some sort of access panel, but I can't reach it. I'll have to lift you up so we can take a look."

"I'm game," she replied. "Anything to get out of here."

"Climb on my shoulders and take the flashlight. See if you can get it open." Ressler bent down so she could climb on his back. His shirt was stuck to his back and he had a thin sheen of sweat on his neck as she positioned herself. He gripped her legs and staggered to a wholly upright position, breathing heavily from the exertion. He was strong, but she knew lifting her this way could not be easy for him. She shone the flashlight towards the panel and pressed her hand against it, but it did not move.

"There has to be some sort of release lever or mechanism to open it," Ressler grunted, shifting his feet against her weight. Liz ran her hands around the edges of the panel until she felt a slight depression.

"I think I found something," she said, "just hang on a minute." She felt the latch release and the panel released with a soft clang.

"You're going to have to pull yourself up to take a look around. I'll support your legs from down here," Ressler said.

Liz's arm muscles strained as she pulled herself up through the narrow opening. She propped herself up on her elbows while Ressler held her knees below.

"What do you see?" he asked.

"It looks like the doors to one of the floors are right above us. If I can lift myself the rest of the way up, I might be able to pry them open."

"Ok, but be careful. If this thing starts moving suddenly, you're gonna need to drop back down in here right away. I'll give you a boost."

Ressler pushed and Liz used all her strength to pull herself the rest of the way up into a seated position on top of the elevator, her legs dangling down through the opening. She shifted carefully into a kneeling position and rested the flashlight on top of the elevator as she reached up and stuck her fingers into the gap between the doors. She tried to pry open the doors, but they yielded only a small crack.

"Hey! Is anyone there?" She shouted into the gap and before long she could see the outline of shoes approaching. She blinked at the sudden rush of daylight and cooler air as the doors slid open, revealing a muscular security guard who looked startled to see her perched on top of the elevator.

"My partner and I got tired of waiting," she said as climbed out onto the floor. The guard recovered his composure and went to retrieve a folding chair, which they passed down to Ressler, allowing him to climb through the opening as well.

"Thanks, man. The whole city still out?" Ressler asked as he dusted himself off.

"Yeah," the guard replied. "Some big substation failure. They don't know when we're gonna come back online."

Ressler and Liz made their way to the nearest stairwell and started the slow trek down the more than twenty flights of stairs to the lobby.

When they finally arrived, panting slightly from the exertion, Ressler glanced at his phone again. "No power means no cell service. We've got to find a landline so we can tell Cooper where we are." He walked over to the front desk and flashed his badge and another security guard escorted them into a small office off the lobby and gestured to the phone. Ressler picked up the phone and dialed Cooper's number and filled him in.

"So now what?" Liz asked after he hung up the phone.

"Now, we find something to eat," Ressler replied, "and then I guess we figure out some place to hang out until the the power comes back on. There's no getting in or out of the city right now - Cooper says everything is shut down. They closed all the bridges and tunnels."

Liz followed him out to the street and they both breathed in deeply. The fresh air was welcome, despite the heat and humidity, after the stuffiness of the office tower. The streets were jammed with cars and people. With no traffic lights working, everything was gridlocked.

Ressler dug out his wallet and grabbed a couple of hot dogs and two large bottles of water from a nearby street vendor and they leaned against a nearby wall to satisfy their hunger.

"Where do you think we should go?" Liz asked. They were down in the financial district and she racked her brain to think of someplace nearby that might offer shelter for the night.

"I don't know," Ressler joked. "Maybe we should call Reddington."

"Maybe we should," Liz said slowly.

"I was kidding, Liz," Ressler said, arching his eyebrow. "I don't think even Reddington can get us out of the city until the power's back up."

"Not get us out - but maybe he knows a place we can stay. He knows people everywhere."

Ressler stood up with a sigh. "I guess it's worth a shot. Let's go back inside and see if they'll let us make one more call."

The security guard at the desk glared at them, but grudgingly allowed them access once more to the small office. Liz dialed Reddington's number.

"Ah, Lizzie!" Reddington said cheerfully, "I thought you might reach out after Harold told me you and Donald were stuck in New York. If you can get yourselves to the Lowell Hotel, my dear friend Johan will help you. Just tell him Kenneth Rathers sent you and to charge my account." She made a note of the address Reddington provided and hung up and turned to Ressler.

"You want the good news? Or the bad news?"

Ressler arched his eyebrow again. "Can't wait to hear this one."

"The good news is that Reddington knows a place where we can stay. The bad news is, the hotel's on the Upper East Side."

Ressler rolled his eyes. "Of course it is, which means, with nothing running and everything gridlocked, we're gonna have to walk." Liz sighed and nodded.

"Well, it beats sleeping on the streets tonight," he said. "Let's get going."

They headed back outside and began the long walk from downtown to the Upper East Side. The streets had a surprisingly festive atmosphere. As they slowly made their way out of the financial district and into the residential areas of lower Manhattan, they saw people gathered on stoops. Music played and neighbors had set up barbecue grills on the sidewalks, seemingly determined to use rather than lose the contents of their freezers. Despite the heat and her exhaustion, Liz felt like they were part of some big street party.

"Who would ever have thought that two people from small towns in the Midwest would be part of this," Ressler said with a grin. She was glad to see he seemed to be enjoying himself as well. His mood had lightened considerably since they had left the office tower and started their walk.

"Pretty lady! Pretty lady! You want a flower?" A man chased after them with a bouquet of roses. Liz waved him off, but Ressler stopped, pulled out his wallet, and handed the guy a couple of bills for a single rose. He handed it to her with a little bow, "He's right. A pretty lady should have a flower." Liz accepted the flower with a smile. She'd never seen Ressler act like this before and his mood was infectious.

As the daylight faded, it was strange to see all the streetlights and buildings remain dark, the only light coming from the headlights of cars stuck on the gridlocked streets. Walking was slow as they dodged cars trying to move slowly through intersections with no working streetlights. As they moved into midtown, the jovial street party atmosphere faded somewhat, replaced by crowds of office workers crammed into bars. Liz's feet were aching and Ressler's step was slowing too.

"A beer would taste really good right now," he said, looking longingly at the closest bar.

Liz could see how tired he was and she needed a break too. "Agreed. Let's stop." Ressler pushed his way through the crowd to the bartender while Liz scanned the outdoor plaza for available seats. She saw a couple get up and leave and quickly grabbed the tiny table with two chairs. Ressler eventually emerged with a beer in each hand and she waved to catch his eye. He settled gratefully into the chair opposite her and took a long sip of his beer.

"Damn, that's good," he said, closing his eyes for a minute. "Crazy night, huh Keen?"

She smiled. "You're going to think I'm crazy but as strange as it sounds, and as tired and hot and sweaty as I feel, I'm kind of enjoying this. It's like something out of a movie."

Ressler chuckled. "You are crazy. But for what it's worth, I guess I am too."

One beer turned to a second as they sat and chatted about everything and nothing. Liz continued to marvel at how relaxed Ressler seemed, like he didn't have a care in the world. She couldn't remember the last time he had seemed so content and at ease. Finally, he stood up and extended his hand to pull her up. "You ready for the final push?" She nodded and they resumed their trudge through the increasingly dark city streets.

* * *

Finally, after nearly 3 hours of walking, they reached the hotel and stepped gratefully into the dark lobby, illuminated only by a handful of LED candles lining the top of the front desk. The clerk looked up, surprised. "Can I help you?"

"Are you Johan?" Liz asked.

The man nodded, clearly puzzled that she knew his name. "Yes, I am."

"Kenneth Rathers sent us. He said you'd be expecting us," Liz replied. The clerk's face instantly changed. "Of course, Madame! We are happy to have you. As I told Mr. Rathers on the phone, though, we have only one room tonight, I am sorry. I hope that is alright?" The clerk glanced nervously from Liz to Ressler.

"It's fine," Liz replied. She glanced at Ressler, who simply shrugged. There was no point in arguing. One room was better than no room. The clerk led them up the dark service stairwell by flashlight to the third floor and unlocked the door to their room, handing them the key. The same small LED candles bathed the room in flickering artificial candlelight. Liz noticed immediately that there was only a single king sized bed.

Ressler collapsed into the closest chair. "I don't know about you, but I really need a shower," he groaned.

"Me too," she agreed. "You go first though."

"You sure?"

"Yes, go."

He grabbed one of the candles and stumbled into the bathroom while Liz gazed out the window at the dark streets below. The inability to see even the buildings across the street was unsettling, and she was once more grateful that she was not alone.

Ten minutes later he emerged, shirtless, with a towel wrapped around his waist. It was rare for her to see him in any state of undress and she couldn't help but admire his chiseled chest and muscled arms. The man was handsome, no doubt.

"Much better," he said, "I feel nearly human again." She flushed as she realized he had caught her staring at him and was suddenly grateful for the dim lighting in the room.

She retreated quickly to the bathroom and turned on the shower. As the cool water grazed her back, her thoughts returned to Ressler. She wasn't sure if it was the beer or the fact she had just really enjoyed his companionship tonight but she found herself imagining stroking his chest and pulling off that towel. "Do not go there," she whispered to herself. Sure, it had been a long time since she had been with anyone - too long - and but crossing that line with her partner was probably a really bad idea. She wondered how long it had been for him. Had he been with anyone since Audrey? She flushed again at the very idea. She turned the shower a bit colder and tried to think about anything other than exiting the bathroom and throwing herself at the man on the other side of the door.

Finally, she stepped out of the shower. She could not bring herself to put her full suit back on so she dressed in just her cami and panties and put on a hotel bathrobe over them. She quickly toweled off her hair and emerged to find that Ressler had put his suit pants back on, without his belt, and was standing shirtless by the window.

"You take the bed," he said. "I'll sleep on the floor."

She shook her head. "That's ridiculous. We're both exhausted. We're both adults. The bed is plenty big enough. Pick a side and I'll take the other."

Ressler stared at her for a moment and licked his lips before looking away. "You sure?"

She felt her heartbeat quicken at the idea of sleeping in close proximity to him all night. "Yes, I'm sure." She turned off all the candles and the room was nearly pitch black, the only light a sliver of moonlight coming in through the window.

Apparently the light was enough for him to see what she was - or in this case, wasn't - wearing because she heard him catch his breath as she slipped out of her robe and slid under the covers. The sheets felt wonderfully cool and smooth. He stood by the side of the bed for a moment and then stretched out on top of the covers the other side of the bed, still wearing his trousers.

"You don't have to sleep in your suit on my account, Ressler. Be comfortable." She rolled on her side so she was facing away from him and waited, quietly, to see what he would do. After a moment, she heard him get up and wordlessly unzip his pants. This time, he slid under the covers. She smiled to herself and, as she closed her eyes, wondered if he was wearing boxers or briefs.

* * *

She woke up early and it took her a moment to remember where she was. The power was still out but the first rays of daylight were just beginning to make their way into the room. She rolled over and saw that Ressler was still asleep, lying on his back with one arm above his head, the sheet pulled only to his waist, leaving his chest exposed. As she watched him sleep, she felt the warm rush of desire return.

She hesitated, still uncertain whether she should cross that line and risk their friendship. She knew if it were going to happen, it would have to start with her. The man who was prepared to sleep on the floor in his suit would never make the first move.

Finally, she took a deep breath and, heart pounding, rolled over until her head was resting on his shoulder. Still asleep, he instinctively wrapped his other arm around her and turned on his side until he was spooning her from behind, his face buried in her hair. She lay quietly in his arms, listening to his steady breathing and waiting for him to wake up and realize what had happened.

It didn't take long. She heard him inhale sharply and freeze, clearly unsure what to do. She pretended to be asleep, but smiled as she felt the unmistakable evidence of his own desire harden against her. Clearly embarrassed by the reaction, he tried to pull back carefully, but she held firm to the arm wrapped around her and moved her hips ever so slightly to grind against him.

"Keen….Liz…what are you doing?" he asked in a strangled voice against her hair, clearly realizing from her movements that she was awake. She rolled over to face him and wrapped one leg over his as he lay on his back once more. She traced her finger slowly across his bare chest.

"I'm not sure," she whispered as she moved her hand lower. He moaned and closed his eyes as she touched him. Briefs, she thought, with a smile.

"Well you better figure it out quick," he said huskily, "if you're gonna keep doing that…"

She continued to explore his body and after a few minutes he opened his eyes and stared into hers. "You sure about this?"

"Yes," she said quietly. "I'm sure."

"Really sure?"

"Yes, really sure." With that reassurance, he cupped her face and kissed her deeply and began his own explorations.

Afterwards, she lay in his arms fully spent as the sun streamed through the window. "So what now?" she asked.

His chest rumbled with laughter. "I don't know. You tell me. You certainly took me by surprise." He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer.

She burrowed against him and laughed as well. "Well, I certainly don't regret it." And she meant it.

Suddenly, with a hum, the power was back. She could hear faint cheers outside and she sighed. "I guess we have to go back to DC now."

"Yeah, I guess we do. But first…." And he bent to kiss her again.

An hour later, they were both showered and dressed and had made arrangements to meet Reddington's jet at the airport. As they walked through the lobby of the hotel, Ressler kept his hand lightly on her back, a subtle sign of their newfound intimacy. They nodded at Johan, the night receptionist, who was still at the desk as they headed out to the waiting cab.

As they exited the hotel, Johan picked up the phone and dialed. "Mr. Rathers? This is Johan from the Lowell. I think the evening went exactly as you hoped."


End file.
